Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रायश्षित्तकथा होषा भक्ष्याभक्ष्यविवर्जिता | कौतूहलानुप्रवणा हर्ष जनयतीव मे,भक्ष्य और अभक्ष्यसे रहित, उपवासस्वरूप प्रायश्चित्तकी यह चर्चा बड़ी उत्सुकता पैदा करनेवाली है। यह मेरे हृदयमें हर्ष-सा उत्पन्न कर रही है

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: Prāyaścittakathā hy eṣā bhakṣyābhakṣyavivarjitā | Kautūhalānupravāṇā harṣaṁ janayatīva me ||

Translation

យុធិષ્ઠិរ បានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «ការពិភាក្សាអំពីព្រាយស្ចិត្ត (ការលះបាប) នេះ—ដែលមិនជាប់ពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងការជជែកថាអ្វីគួរញ៉ាំ ឬមិនគួរញ៉ាំ—ទាក់ទាញចិត្តខ្ញុំឲ្យចូលទៅដោយក្តីចង់ដឹង។ វាហាក់បីដូចជាបង្កើតសេចក្តីរីករាយមួយនៅក្នុងចិត្តខ្ញុំ»។

Word by Word

प्रायश्चित्तकथाthe discourse about expiation

होषाthis

भक्ष्याभक्ष्यविवर्जिताdevoid of (rules of) edible and inedible (foods)

कौतूहलानुप्रवणाinclined toward curiosity

हर्षम्joy

जनयतिproduces, generates

इवas if

मेof me / for me

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira values expiation as an inner ethical process, not merely a ritual centered on dietary rules; true prāyaścitta should cultivate clarity, restraint, and moral renewal.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira responds to a discourse on prāyaścitta, expressing that a treatment of penance not preoccupied with food-permitted/forbidden distinctions fills him with curiosity and a hopeful joy.